Latest Saddle

[Go2Tex]

ditto wow! Love those scrolls. That is SOME knife control.....

[Mike Craw]

Hey Troy!

Once again, you have produced a beautiful work in all aspects. I have a question about the background. It appears to be a pebble surface, but not lined up in rows like a bar grounder. Could you tell us what tool you used?

Mike

[TroyWest]

Jim Redding, Thank you!

Bruce, Thank you! I'm a little disappointed you didn't comment on the leg cut on this swell, like, hey, that isn't in the same place as my L.T.M. So go ahead, ask me.

Buffalo and Go2Tex, thank you guys.

[TroyWest]

Troy -

I've never tooled the floral binders on the roll - have been wanting to do that, basically like you have said, to do the set stamps on the bench, and the carved binders on the saddle - is there a procedure that needs to be followed in order to keep the carving looking crisp, deep, etc?? I've wondered if the binder needs some type of block under it to support it as it's being tooled - I don't expect any problems with carving it in, the tooling part is my biggest concern....

Shelly,

Thats one of those 10 million dollar questions. You know we all do things differently. Al Stohlman tooled his on the bench, Chuck Stormes told me he tools everything on the bench, seat dish, binders, horn tops, etc. I've tooled so many on the saddle I don't even mind doing it anymore. The only thing I can say is you want a pretty firm roll, which we custom folks tend to do that anyway. I've never put anything, block etc. under mine. Just try one and see if you like it. I mark and cut my borders, sketch my pattern, cut it, then put my drawdown strap on to hold it tight to tool.

[TroyWest]

Troy,

Very nice saddle. Balance and proportion are excellent! Great color too! No critique for any visible flaws. Personal preferance point... borders around front and cantle conchos and rear and swell conchos over tooling. Not wrong, just something I notice on a lot of great saddles that seems out of place to me. Is there a rope strap? If so, how did you do it? Do you put any wrap over your horn before rubber for roping?

My compliments on a great saddle. Thanks for posting the pics.

Keith

Keith,

Thank you for your comments. I'll have to think on those borders around the conchos. It's certainly more trouble to put them on there. I have seen guys put borders around their rig rivets and I really don't like that. For anyone who reads this those rivets are domed brass rivets from Weavers. They are tough to snip off but they shine up purdy.

There is no rope strap. This guy is a team roper and he didn't even want a rig carrier on the offside.

I wrap the horn if they want me to, usually latigo wrap on a roper.

Thanks again Keith.

Troy

[TroyWest]

Troy,

Great looking saddle. Do you rig alot of saddles that way. I was thinking of building a calf roper and rigging it the way you did. Do you think it holds up well. I am sure you do or you wouldnt build it that way.

Ashley

Ashley,

Thank you. I do rig quite a few this way. I built a saddle for a calf roper 2 yrs ago , skirt rig front d- rig rear. He told me a year later he will never go back to a conventional d-rig. Howard Council told me he builds a lot of calf ropers with a skirt rig if they will let him.

[Shelly]

I understand - I think I will do that on the next few I have to do with floral binders, which are coming up pretty quick. You do beautiful work, really clean, and the lines are great. I also noticed that you did this one without any welts at the leg cut - nor did you pull more slack to the back of the fork and cheat it there and have to lace it...very nice work! I assume it's about 7" high in the gullet, but that may not be a good measurement - depending on the bars, etc...I'm getting ready to build on a few of Jon's trees, and I'm hoping my end results will be a 'step up' in the right way!

Trees are pretty enough to just not want to cover the darn things!!

[TroyWest]

Hey Troy!

Once again, you have produced a beautiful work in all aspects. I have a question about the background. It appears to be a pebble surface, but not lined up in rows like a bar grounder. Could you tell us what tool you used?

Mike

Thank you Mike. Sorry, but these are Ellis Barnes bar grounders. Maybe this picture wll show up better. If not, I may need the help of a kid.

I can't tell even from this photo, but they are bar grounders.

[kseidel]

Troy,

You did an inlaid seat with full cantle padding. Can you show a picture of the cantle ear and explain how you constructed the padded seat? This is done very well and does not show an awkward cantle ear transition. How did you tie it all together?

Keith

[jwwright]

Great work as always Troy. JW